Suction sweeper



Nov. 1 M27.

H. HILL.

SUGTION SWEEPER Filed Jan. 5I 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l I 647 292 Nov. 1, 1927. H. HILL v sUcTIoN swEEPER Filed Jan. 5, 1922 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Nov. l, 1927.

HUGH HILL, F ANDERSON', INDIANA.

' sUcrIoN swnnrnn.

Application filed January 5, 1922. Serial No. 527,217.

This invention relates to suction sweepers for both portable and stationary use.

It is the practice in some instances, particularly in oflice buildings and the like, t0 install a dust separator in some portion of the building, usually the basement, and then pipe the building and make connectionsin different rooms for the suction cleaning tools, 'and my invention applies to this class of` devices, as well as to the small portable type, although the illustrations here show 1t only as applied to the latter.-

VThe object of the invention is to make a device sufficiently simple, compaet'and efiicient for use in this class of work, in whichthe dust laden air is drawn in and the dusty separated therefrom by the action of centrifugal force.

The invention consists in mechanism attaining the foregoing objects, and'm' many features and details of construction which will be hereafter more fully set forth in the specification and claims.

Referring to the drawlngs, numerals designate the same parts throughout the several views- Figure 1 is a plan view, partiallyy in section; I

Figure 2 is a side view, largely 1n section, illustrating this invention in its preferred form;

Figure 3 is a side, and Figure 4 an end elevation of the exterior case mechanism most suited for use in this invention.

Externally, the device includes a .generally circular case 10, contracted at lts top in the curves 12 to the flat upper surface 14, to which is attached an electric motor retaining case 16, detachably secured 1n place by any suitable means such as the cap screws 18. Pivoted to the case 10 on opposite sides thereof, through the agency of suitable pivots 20, are the forked arms 22 of a conventional push handle 24, whose operating end, engaged by' the operator to push the device over the carpet, does not enter 10 is supported into this invention and therefore is shown broken away. At the front of the case is a flaring, downwardly turned intaketube 26, terminating in the downwardly pointed 1ntake nozzle 27 closely approaching the floor 28, as clearly shown in Figure 2. The case on small wheels 30 located at opposite ends of the intake nozzle and a bracket 32 resting on a suitably supported wheel mechanism 34 ia which like located at the rear edge ofthe case. In the particular case here lllustratedmechanism 34 comprises two parallel wheels journaled on a common pivot pin or shaft 36 extending through the bracketl 32. This wheel arrangement gives the sweeperpa three point support in traveling over the ioor, which insures its being properly supported at all times with the nozzle 26 in close 'proximity to the floor.

As clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lower half of the case 10 is truly cylindrical on all sides so as to form a central open bottom cavity 36, within which the dust retalmng an 38 maybe inserted from the bottom. '111e upper edges of this dust pan 38 are adapted for detachable spring engagement with a downwardly turned iange 40 on an annular cover plate 42, which when the parts arev in assembled position covers approximately the outer half of t-he pan. This cover plate 42 is rigidly secured by any suitable means, such as the screws 44, to the partit-ion wall spokes 46, radiating from and, 1n the particular -case here shown, integral with hub 48 ofl a wheel detachably secured by any suitable means such as the pin 50 from the shaft 52 of the motor contained within the case 16,.,which motor is'of any conventional form and therefore not shown 1n the drawings, it beingunderstood that electric current is supplied to the electric motor in vany conventional manner well known in the electric art; v

Also rigidly secured to the spokes 46, in

the particular case here shown integral therewith, is a circular V-shaped guiding member 54, which happens in the particular case here illustrated, to'be shown open at its top. This guiding member is made up of a vertical wall 56 located adjacent to the inner circumference of plate 42, and an angularly disposed wall 58 terminating in an upwardly turned flange 60 enclosing and freely rotating about the downwardly turned end portion 62 of the discharge port of the air intake pipe 26. y'The upper end'of the vel'- tical wall 56 is bent slightly inwardly in the curve 56a and clears the internal edge of the annular'ring 42 in the air discharge annular port 58, through which air ma pass, as indicated by the arrows, from t e interior of the dust-pan to the annular air space v64 leading to the air discharge ports 66.

In the operation of a portable device, the operator pushes onA the handle 24 to move the sweeper over the carpet or rug to be cleaned and at .the e time by conventional e ectricalmechanism causes e motor in case 16 to continuously rotate the shalt 52. Rotation of Athe shaft 52 causes the spoked wheel 46-42-38--56 attached thereto to rapidly rotate to create a suction inside of the sweeper' and drawl dirt laden air through the nozzle 27 into the passage 26, from whichit passes in the path shown by the arrows of Figure 2 down into the spaces 68 within the rotating wheel. u

Thus, as the fan wheel rotates, a duid stream passes through the cleaner and 1s given a whirling motion whereby, through centrifugal action, the heavier. artlcles are projected outwardly. 'llhe e' 54 serves to reverse substantially the directionoi dow of the fluid stream so that the heavler particles, which are moving outwardly under centrifugal action, may leave the mam luid stream and be deposited in the dust pan or container 38. Slnce the container 38 rotates at the same speed as the fan wheel, there are no eddy currents caused to stu' up the precipitate or particles deposited.I

en the sweeping operation 1s completed, or it is otherwise desired to clean the sweeper, the operator simply lifts the ent-1re device from the iloor suiiciently to get hold of the'dust -pan 38, whereupon he discon` nects the upper 'edges of the pan from the flanges 40 in the obvious manner; empties the pan and returns it to place, whereupon the device is ready for repeated operat1on.

Ilhe design of the walls 56 and is quite important in directing the flow of air insuch manner that the dust is properly deposited and the cleaned air allowed to escape.

rlhe walls 46 dividing the pan '38, when in operating position into radially disposed air chambers or sections, have to be generally radial; the ones shown are exactly radial so that the device will operate equally well when moved in opposite directions. I

rlhe tops 72 of walls 46 clear the lower ends ofanges 62 so that air flowing out of member 62 may easily divide itself between all the clust chambers as-nearly lequally as possible.

at claim is:

1. In mechanism lvof the class described, a stationary casing, a dust pan within said casing, means for rotating` said pan, meansl for'drawing dust laden air into 'said pan at a point` near its center, directing it through the pan towards the outer edge thereof, and delivering it from the pan at a point near its edge, whereby dust carried in said air is drawn by centrifugal force against the side of the pan and there retained.

2. ln mechanism ofthe class described, a dust pan, means for rotating said pan, vertical, generally radial partitions dividing the pan into a plurality .of air chambers, means for drawing dust laden air into said various aecaaea air ch rs of the cgnter, it

chambers of the thereof; delivering it from the pan at aY pointnear its edge,-whereby dust carried in said air is thrown by centrifugal force against the side ot the a and there re tained in the various air cambers.

3. mechanism of the class described, in combination with a case transportable over a door, a dust pan, means for rotating said pan, generally radial partitions dividing the pan into a plurality of chambers, means for drawing dust laden air from the door into said various chambers of the pan, directing it through the separate air chambers of the pan, delivering it from the pan, and thence out of the case, whereby dust carried in said air is thrown by centrifugal force against the side oi the pan and retained in the variousL chambers.

4. in mechanism of the class described, in combination with acase transportable over a door, a dust pan, a motor mechanism carried hy the case -for rotating said pan, generally radial partitions dividing the pan into a `plurality of chambers, means for drawing dust laden air from the door into said various chambers of the pan at a point near its center, directing it throu h the separate chambers of the pan, and devering it from the pan so as to cause the air current to loop y, hach on its path, whereby dust carried in said air is deposited in the' an.

g a casing provided with a nozzle to serve as an air inlet and with a spaced ope to serve as an air outlet, a motor on the casing provided with a shaft extending through the casing, a p shaft beneath an within the casing to be rotated thereby, and means for drawing a current oi air in through the nozzle and spreadlng i t by whirling motion into a coniined rotating annulus within the pan to project the heavier particles out of the air stream, and means for guiding the cleansed afm out through the outlet of thecasing 6. in mechanism of the class described, a dust pan, meansfor rotating said pan, generally radial partitions .divi g the pan into a plurality of'air chambers, means for drawlng dust laden air into said various air chambers oi the pan at a point near its center, directing it through the separate air chambers of the pan towards the outer edge thereof; delivering it. from the pan' at a point near its edge, whereby dust carried in said air is thrown by centrifugal force against the side oi the pan and there retained in the various air. chambers, and means removably mounting the dust pan with reference to the other parts of the devlce.

7. in mec Mew of the cl desori, e

5. ln a cleaner, the comhinatlon compris# supported on the motori dll , terasse rotatable dust pan, an annular, circular V- sectioned uiding (member inserted in the pan provi ing` an annular vertical wall adjacent to but separated from the outer wall of'thepan, and an angula'rly inclined annular wallA leading from the' bottom of said vertical wall upwardly towards the center of the pan so as to leave an air intake space at the central top portion of the pan, and means for forcibly carrying air into the pan through said central openmg down around the said guiding means, then outward outrotatable dust pan, an annular, circular V side said vertical wall, whereby dust contained in the air so carried through the pan is separated from the air and thrown against the side walls of the pan for the purposes s et forth. l

8. In mechanism of the class described, a casing, al rotatable dust pan therein, an annular guiding member inserted in the -pan providing an annular vertical wall adjacent to but separated from the outery wall ofthe pan, and an angularly inclined annular wall leading from the bottom of said vertical wall upwardly towards the center of the pan so as to leave an air intake space at the central portion of the pan, an annular cover over the outer portion of the pan but separated from said vertical wall so as to form an air discharge port from the pan, and means for forcibly carrying air intothe pan through said central opening down around the said guiding means, then outside said vertical wall, and through said discharge port wheredust contained in the air so carried through theV pan is separated from the air, and deposited within said casing. Y

9. In mechanism of the class described, a

sectionedguiding member inserted in the pan, providing an annular vertical wall adjacent to but separated from the outer wall of the pan, and an angularly inclined annular wall leading from the bottom of said vertical wall upwardly towards the center of the pan so as to leave an air intake space at the central top portion of the pan, an annular cover over the outer portion of the pan but separated from the vertical wall of the V member so as to form an air discharge port from the pan, said V member being so formed that the discharge port is radially nearer the center of the pan than the lower part of the vertical wall of the V member, and means for forcibly carrying air into the pan through said central opening down around the said guiding means, then' outward outside said vertical wall, whereby dust contained in the air so carried through the pan is separated from the aire and thrown against the side walls of the pan for the purposes set forth.

10. In a` cleaner, in combination, a casing adapted to be moved over the surface to be cleaned,I a rotatable fanwheel for drawing a uid stream into the` casing and givin it a whirling motion, a container dispose to rotate with the fan wheel to receive the precipitate separated from the Huid b l centrifugal action, and a guide carried by the fan wheel disposed to Vcause substantially a hreversal of the direction of flow of the fluid stream, thereby to 'project the heavier par ticles out of the 'fluid stream and deposit them into 'the'containen I have hereunto sub- In witness whereof scribed my name.

' HUGH HILL. l

exsA 

